Work Shoes

[krash]

Hey guys, need some input on work shoes.

When I say work, I dont mean actual 9-5 construction work or anything. Just general all around work (fixing cars, working on the house, mowing lawns, etc). I've been using my old adidas for the last 3 years and they are officially dead. I dont have any other "spare" shoes so I guess I'm going to have to buy something for this purpose.

So what do you guys wear when you're working on cars and doing labor stuff? I probably don't need steel toe boots, never had them and I still have all my toes. I've been looking at military boots like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Rothco-Desert-For ... tary+boots

$50ish and it seems pretty badass.

Anyway, trying to keep it under $60 (realistically under $50 but 10 bucks isn't a dealbreaker.) Give me some ideas!

[frapjap]

I know you're looking to save money, but like Lt. Dan says, always take care of your feet.
They're not exactly in your price range, but you'll never go wrong with a pair of Merrell boots.
http://www.amazon.com/Merrell-Mens-Moab ... rell+boots
Super comfortable foot bed, loads of ankle support. Your lower back will never hurt after wearing them.

Note that you can usually get them for ~$60-70 at the closest outlet store to you.

[BusyBadger]

I know you're looking to save money, but like Lt. Dan says, always take care of your feet.

Spoken like a true soldier!

Funny you say Merrell, my favourites were a pair of Vasque hikers that were great for years until they finally had enough and wanted a decent burial. I picked up a cheap (by Vasque standards) pair of Herman Survivors with a composite toe at WalMart before Herman's quality went all to hell and have been really happy with them. It's too hilly & rocky where I live to even consider wearing trainers to do yardwork, I'd roll an ankle in an instant and the limited amount of flex in the sole means my dogs aren't barking after a day in the yard. Krash, those boots you pointed out say they're made to feel like a running shoe, more sole flex means more foot stress - it's a balancing act. If you're not dealing with the Blue Ridge foothills like I am and have fairly level and non-rocky ground you'll probably be ok, but you'll never know until you actually get the shoe. I hate buying shoes online, make sure they've got a decent return policy!

I've got some older Asics for beat-around wear but for stuff in the garage I like my some of my older Pilotis because of the oil resistant sole. Even though Piloti is "back in business" their 2014 line isn't available to buy yet, if you want some decent garage shoes check out Simpson's pit/crew shoes.

[krash]

Thanks for the input!

I'd love to get some Merrell shoes, but they do get a bit pricey. I usually dont have to deal really rough terrain (I've been using an old pair of adidas skate shoes thus far). The main reason I'm purchasing a dedicated work shoe is because I dont have a set of spare shoes I can treat like crap. That being said, since I am making a dedicated purchase, having something that I could go on rougher terrain with would probably be a smarter buy.

And yes I agree, buying shoes online sucks!

edit:

at $50, these might be a winner!


http://simpsonraceproducts.com/crew-sho ... es-non-fr/

I'm going to do some searching in the "pit crew shoes" area.

[lne937s]

The most durable shoes I have ever owned were Red Wings. A little pricy, but they protected my feet and easily lasted three times as long as most of my shoes, so you get what you pay for.

http://www.redwingshoes.com/

[sx moneypit]

[Dattebayo]

I'd still go with at least a composite toe shoe just in case you kick something hard enough to break something you need to walk with.
The ones I have now are a steel toe, but I got them from Sears, so they only cost about $35. Their Roebucks boots are comfortable, but the wear quality kinda sucks. The soles are cracking after a year and a half...

[float_6969]

I know you're looking to save money, but like Lt. Dan says, always take care of your feet.
They're not exactly in your price range, but you'll never go wrong with a pair of Merrell boots.
http://www.amazon.com/Merrell-Mens-Moab ... rell+boots
Super comfortable foot bed, loads of ankle support. Your lower back will never hurt after wearing them.

Note that you can usually get them for ~$60-70 at the closest outlet store to you.

I wear Merrell's EXCLUSIVELY for my work shoes. I go through at least one set a year, sometimes two. The ones I buy are over $100. They're waterproof sneakers. You probably don't need waterproof shoes (I'm a pool guy and my shoes get wet CONSTANTLY and wet feet drive me INSANE), but the brand is great!

[frapjap]

I know you're looking to save money, but like Lt. Dan says, always take care of your feet.
They're not exactly in your price range, but you'll never go wrong with a pair of Merrell boots.
http://www.amazon.com/Merrell-Mens-Moab ... rell+boots
Super comfortable foot bed, loads of ankle support. Your lower back will never hurt after wearing them.

Note that you can usually get them for ~$60-70 at the closest outlet store to you.

I wear Merrell's EXCLUSIVELY for my work shoes. I go through at least one set a year, sometimes two. The ones I buy are over $100. They're waterproof sneakers. You probably don't need waterproof shoes (I'm a pool guy and my shoes get wet CONSTANTLY and wet feet drive me INSANE), but the brand is great!

Totally agree! I must have bought 5-6 pairs of the same Merrells by now. I primarily use them for work, but they're simple and casual enough to wear anywhere and are my go-to so long as I'm not wearing shorts. They sole wears out long before the rest of the shoe does; the old ones become garage shoes or production plant shoes for a few more months. To have a pair of shoes for about a year that still feel like the day you took them out of the box is unheard of.

[float_6969]

I do the same thing when they wear out (as you said, the sole usually gets too slick for me to walk on the bottom of a pool safely anymore, or they start to loose their waterproofing) they get retired to lawn/garden duties. I've never actually had a pair break down all the way, they just get replaced.

[WDRacing]

I have always used a pair of Vans. I have lots of them, one for yahd work, one for the garage and 2 for general wear.

I've never needed a pair of expensive work shoes, unless they are required for the job. At which point I just buy boots.

[numbnuts240]

yahd work

damn that's a heavy accent.

on topic, i love my merrell hikers. i'll wear them for anything and everything. i just need to hose all the excessive mud off of them. i have a pair of magnum work boots which work well and i don't remember them being all that pricey, although i'd recommend getting an additional insert as the padding seemed to be a tad inadequate.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I use some slip resistent shoes from wal mart. They are required for my job, but they work really well.

[WDRacing]

Which ones James?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I don't have them in front of me so I can't say for sure, but I THINK these are them:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/TredSafe-Men- ... es/3933676

They came with Dr Scholls inserts which by themselves were ok, but in these were absolute garbage. My heels were ready to separate themselves from my body and slay me in my sleep after the first day. I had a pair of Sketchers with memory foam inserts that I swapped over to these (and the Dr Scholls to the sketchers), and now both shoes are great.

If you think about shoes kinda like a wheel/tire/spring/damper setup, it starts to make sense. The soles on the work shoes (slip resistant) have essentially no give whatsoever, leaving all the shock absorbing to the insert. For that the Dr Scholls was just too damn stiff. My Sketchers actually had some absorption in the sole as well as the insert (memory foam... insane amounts of shock absorption) so I did the swap.

I didn't see these in the store when I was there, but they look pretty interesting/cheap as well:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Brahma-Men-s- ... e/27420222

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJu8xaRPD2c[/youtube]